Sikh basketball players and others
were thrilled to hear that FIBA,
the world governing body for basketball,
has unanimously lifted its ban on players
who wear religious head coverings. Male players
will be able to wear turbans and yarmulkes, and
female players will be able wear hijabs, encouraging
more of them to play the sport.
Darsh Preet Singh (left), who played for
Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, from
2004 to 2008, had his jersey displayed at the
Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of
Natural History in 2015 as part of an exhibit on
the contributions of Indian-Americans.
The Sikh Coalition has been working with
lawmakers and other civil rights organizations
to demand that FIBA lift its ban on religious
headwear. “Nobody should ever be forced to
choose between their sport and their faith,” said
Simran Jeet Singh, the Sikh Coalition’s senior
religion fellow.